Polyphase transformer



March 3, 1936. H. A, w KUNKHAMER 2,032,705

POLYPHASE TRANSFORMER Filed April 2o, 1934 2 sheets-sheet 1 POLYPHASE 'TRANSFORMER Filed April 20, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT-[crucis Il roLrPnAss 'mANsFonMEa Hendrik Abraham Wijnand xunkhamensina: hoven, Netherlands, assignor to N. V-Philips Gloeilarnpenfabrieken, Eindhoven, Netherlands Application April zo, 1934, serial No. 721,635

In the NetherlandsMay 1 3, 1933 v 13 claims. (o1.` 1v1- 119) This invention relates to polyphase transformers, and more particularly to so-called. highleakage transformers in which means are provided to obtain a strong leakage field and which A 5 consist of two or more individual or combined single-phase transformers. a

f I shall describe my invention particularly.

connection with such transformers used in directcurrent welding installations in which a -multiphase alternating current is first transformedV and Athen rectified by means of rectifier tubes,v

such an installation having been described in my copending application Ser. No. 602,579, filed April In most cases a three-phase network is available for the current supply, whereas in many cases-especially for smaller welding outfitsit is desirable to use only two rectifier tubes in the output.

rent. In such an arrangement the feeding transformer usually consists of two single-phase transformers, preferably of two transformers whose 30` leakage transformers, the secondary windings are provided on diil'erent legs of the core than are the primary windings.

I have found that in such an arrangement serious difficulties are encountered regarding the 35 proper distribution of the load between'the two rectifier tubes, and even when assuming the two secondary windings be loaded with equal ohmic resistance the current` in the secondary circuits would be unequal. The currents in the. tubes will 40 thus be diierent and such unequal distribution of current, manifests itself in such a manner that the secondary current of that single-phase transformer in which the current lags compared to the current of the other single-phase transformer, 45 will be larger. Furthermore, the difference between these two secondary currents does not remain constant, but varies with the value of the load in such a manner that as the load inc ases, which can for instance be obtained by varying 50 the leakage, this difference first increases. then with further increase in the load. decreases. Upon a short-circuiting of the secondary windings the two currents become equal,

Under extreme conditions this difference be- 55 tween the two secondary currents, may be so large In such cases the threephasecurrent has to be converted into a four-phase cur-- that the 4current in the .lagging'phase may have double the value of that'in the leading phase.-

It isevident that such unequal distribution of ythe current-between the two secondary circuits unfavourably affects the proper functioning and 5 economy of the installation, as wellas the life of the rectiers, etcf` For instance, those rectifier tubes which carry the h'igher load have a much reduced life and require frequent replacement.

I have found that this unequal distribution of 10 the' secondary currents is due tothe leakage fields between the windings of the two transformers and more particularly the leakage field which is coupled with the secondary l windingswhich leakage in the case of such high leakage trans- '15 formers may assume considerable values-and which cause an undesirable coupling -between the secondary windings of the two single-phase transformers. j

My'invention has the purpose of preventing 20 such an unequal distribution'of the load between the two secondary windings by eliminating the influence of these leakage fields, and thus avoiding the coupling by these fields of the windings of the two transformers.

According to my invention a coupling effect of the leakage field betweenthe secondary wlndings of the two single-phase transformers is al together eliminated or at least minimized by providing a short-circuited winding, which is disposed preferably at or near a point where these undesirable leakage fields have their smallest cross-section and surrounds these elds'. This short-circuited winding is coupled with the leakl age field which is coupled with the two secondary windings and passes through the air so that a Y strong current is caused to ilowin the winding which causes a strong damping of theifleld.

Incase the two single-phase transformers have 'a common yoke this short-cimmed -wmdlng is 4o preferably provided at this yoke, in such a manner as to surround the whole transformer as closely as possible. i A

The invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic drawing showing a circuit arrangement, embodying my invention in connection with the transformation of threephase currents to four-phase currents, and as applied to a welding installa-teo: using alternating current rectified by means ci .ectiicr tubes.

Fig. 2 is a schematic drawing similar tothat of Figure I ln which xthe cathodes of the rectifier tubes lare supplied with a heating current by a :fieldsA are the smallest, thus in the present case tertiary winding provided on the main transformer;

Fig. 3 is a schematic drawing showing a transformer according to the invention consisting of three single-phase transformers. In Fig. 4 an arrangementfor regulating the leakage of the transformer is shown.

' Referring to-Figure 1, a transformer comprising two single-phase portions A and B having a common yoke Il serves -for the'transformation of a three-phase current into a four-phase current.

The primary windings .4 and l are provided on thel two upper legs I6 and i6 of the transformer portions A and B respectively. The windings 4 and 5 are connected in Scott connection" and the ratio of their turns is lzyy/.- The. winding 4 is provided in known mannerwith nected to a terminal 23, and the two ends of winding 4 are connected to terminals 2| and 22, the4 terminals 2l, v22 and 23 being the terminals for the three-phases of the network.A

The secondary windings 8 and 1 of the trans-- former portions A and B are disposed on the lower legs I1 and I1' of the transformer cores, whichcgres are completed by side legs 3 and 2' respectively. The ends of the windings 6 and l are connectedv to the anodes 24.-24' and 25-25 of two full-wave rectiers`l and 2 respectively. The cathodes 26 and v2l of the rectiiiers l and 2 are heated by means of the secondary winding I2 of a heating transformer (not shown).

The'mid-point 30 of winding I2 is connected to the positive side of a load Il, the negative side of the load being connected to mid-points 28 and 29 of the secondary windings 6 and 1 respectively. The terminals of the load i3 may represent the welding electrodes or one welding electrode and the workpiece. l'

'I'he rectifier tubes I and 2 are preferably gasnued tubes having a low voltage-drop, which drop also remains substantially constant withvarying load. 'I'he cathodes 2B and 2T are preferably oxide cathodes. The transformer portions A and B are shown to be provided between their primary and secondary windings with magnetic shunts consisting of ferro-magnetic bridge pieces 8 and 9 which serve to control the leakage between these windings and consequently the value ofthe rectitled current, and which are preferably adjustable.

While the transformer portions A and B are shown as 'having a common yoke, they may also consist of two individual transformers; however, the use of a common yoke is more economical, as it can be made smaller than the corresponding two individual yokes.

According to the invention, the intercoupling or mutual inductance created by the leakage elds between the windings of the two transformers is minimized by the provision of a shortcircuited winding Il, which preferably consists of a single turn of a good conductor, for instance of a copper ring of large cross-section.

Ihe cross-section of the winding H is preferably of the same order as the total copper crosssection of the individual primary windings of the transformer portions. l

To obtain the greatest damping effect by means of the short-circuited winding with the smallest amount of material therefor, the windingr Il is preferably disposed at a point where the leakage at the common yoke i0. During operation a current is induced in the-'winding il, which current may have a value of several thousand amperes and which current practically eliminates the coupling effect lof 4the leakage fields between' the transformer portions A and B.

The invention has the furtheradvantage that due tothe strong damping or suppression of the leakage elds, it is not required to take special precautions or make special provisions to keep bodies'of iron or other magnetic materialoutside of the influence of the magnetic field of the transformer. i

Inthe past high-leakage transformers have been usually housed in casings of non-magnetic material, for instance brass, in order to prevent the housing or the approach of other magnetizable material or other type of magnetic disturb- 'ance innuence to change the value of the leakage Fig. 1 such a casing 32 is shown in `dotted lines.,

As has been stated, the transformer portions are provided between their primary and secondary winding with bridge-pieces of ferro-magnetic material, which form magnetic shunts. to

vary the leakage-and thereby to regulate the value of the output current. The use of such bridgepieces has been known for the regulation of the leakage between the primary and secondary windings of single-phase transformers. However, such regulating means could not be applied successfully in a polyphase transformer consisting of a plurality of single-phase transformers as described above as the stray fields and accordingly the dierences between the secondary currents would assume very high values in this case.

By using a short-circuited winding, in accordance with the invention, ,such bridge-pieces can successfully be used'in a `polyphase transformer and equal distribution of the secondary currents is maintained irrespective of the positions ofthe bridge-pieces. Were other means to be used to maintain equality of the currents in the secondary' circuits. for instance, a resistance inserted in the secondary circuit having the lagging phase, equal current distribution could be obtained only at a given value ofY the load, but could not be maintained for different values of the load.

Regulation of the current intensity by means of adjustable magnetic shunts in the form of 'bridge-pieces is preferable to other methods of current regulation, being less expensive and more stance, than adjustable choke-coils provided in the primary windings of the feeding transformer.

In Fig. 4 such an arrangement for regulating the leakage by means of adjustable magnetic shunts is shown. The shunts 8 and 9 are mounted on a common support 33 which support is rotatably mounted on a threaded bar 35. The bar is lead through a fixed nut 36, by means of a handwheel 34. The support -and the magnetic shunts can be moved up and down whereby the strong field is varied.

Thus the present invention also renders pos'- sible the regulation of the secondary current by means of simple adjustable magnetic shunts, also in the case of polyphase transformers, which not only provides for a simple, convenient and inexpensive method of regulation, but also provides short-circuited winding with the invention. It should also be well understood that in case` for a balanced load in the 'secondary circuits, irrespective oi' the value of the load.

A further advantage of such'an arrangement is that-the secondary currents equality is maintained irrespective of the manner in which the phases of the network are connected.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 2 is similar to that of Figure 1 except that instead of providing a separate heating transformer for the cathodes 26 and 21, separate low-voltage tertiary windings Il and i5 are provided on the transformer portions A and B, which are preferably disposed on the legs 'i6-I6' of the cores-adjacent to the primary windings 4 and 5.

The invention is not restricted to single-phase transformers having a common yoke, but applies equally well to an arrangement in which the into four-phase current, but can be equally well applied to the transformation of other typesof polyphase currents, for instance in the transformation of three-phase current into another type of three-phase current, or of a four-phase cur-v rent into another type of four-phase current. In all sucharrangements a plurality of individual or combined single-phase leakage transform- Yers may be used and the mutual inductance or cross leakage 4between the windings of the individual transformers suppressed by the use of a provided in accordance the polyphase transformer comprises more than two single-phase transformers, more than Aone short-circuited winding is used; as a rule, one short-circuited winding is required to be placed at the yoke or yokes of two adjacent single-phase` transformers.

Fig. 3 shows a three-phase4 transformer consisting of 4three single-phase transformers A, B'

and C wherein two short-circuited windings II and 3| are provided for suppressing theleakage fields which couple the windings of each two adjacent transformers.

While I have described my invention in con- 'nection with specific examples and in specific` applications, I do not wish to be limited thereto, but desire the appended claims to be construed as broadly as permissible in view of the prior art.

What I claim is: l. A polyphase transformer assembly comprising a plurality of single-phase high-leakage transformers each having at least one yoke on which no winding is provided. one of the said yokes of each transformer being adjacent to such a yoke of another transformer, and means to.

ing primary winding and means to suppressthe leakage fields coupling the windings of adjacent transformers, said means including a short-cir-g" cuited winding disposed in the proximity of the' sai'd transformers, adjacent transformers having a common yoke, and means tosuppress the leakage iield coupling the windings-of adjacent transformers, said means including a short-circulted winding provided at the common yoke and closely surrounding the transformers.

4. A' polyphase transformer assembly for converting three-phase current into symmetrical four-phase current, said assembly comprising two single-phase. high-leakage transformers, a core 'for each .of said transformers, said cores having a common flux path, and primary and secondary windings for said transformers, the primary and secondary windings of each transformer being -l provided on different legs of its core, and a shortclrcuited winding surrounding the assembly around said 'common flux.path.

5. A pclyphase transformer assembly comprisinga plurality of adjwcently disposed singlephase high-leakage transformers, windings for .said-transformers, vand means to suppress the leakage fields coupling the windings of adjacent transformers, said means including at least one short-circuited winding, disposed in the proxim- 'jacent transformers having a common yoke. windings for said transformers disposed on the part of the cores which are perpendicular to'the said'common yoke, the secondary and primary windings being disposed on separated parts ofthe core and means to suppress the leakage fields coupling the windings of adjacent transformers, said means including a short-circuited winding disposed in the proximity of the common yoke and surrounding the transformers.

7. A -polyphase transformer assembly comprising a plurality of adjacently disposed singlephase. high-leakage transformers, a primary and a secondary winding for each of said transformers, and means to suppress the leakage fields coupling the windings of adjacent transformers,

said means including atleast one short-circuited winding disposed in the proximity of the smallest v cross-section ,of said leakage fields. and adjust- Aable magnetic shunts disposed/between the pridisposed in the proximity of the common yokeand surrounding the transformers, and adjustable magnetic shunts disposed between-the primary andv secondary of each of said transformers.

:9. A polyph'ase transformer assembly comp ing two single-phase portions, a core for each -of said portions, said cores having a substantially rectangular shape and including'a' common yoke, 'a primary and asecondary winding for each of 'said portions, 'the primary-and secondary windingpfeachi portion being provided on diiferent 'legs of its-core, 'and ra short-circuited Winding surrounding tlieassembIy at said yoke.

10.' Afpolyphase transformer assembly comprising two single-phase portions, a core-for each of-said-"portior is, said cores having a substantially rectangular shape'and including a common yoke,

a* primary-winding and a secondary winding for :each 'ofsaid-portions said windings being coaxially ldisposed one on each of the two core legs,

which are perpendicular to the yoke, and a' shortcircuitedv lwinding surrounding the assembly at said yoke.'

' I1.` A Vpolyphase transformer assembly coml prising a; Vplurality-of linearly-arrangedA singlephase a higli-leairage transformers having windings, andmeans to suppress the leakage eld 4coupling the windings of successive transformers, said means "including a' short-circuited winding closely surrounding the transformer assemblyj and coupled s aid leakage field.

12. A polyphase transformer assembly comprising a plurality of adjacently-dlsposed singlephasel high-leakage transformers having windings, and means to suppress the leakage .iieldl coupling the windings of adiacent transformers, said means including a short-circuited winding closely surrounding the transformer assembly and coupled with the leakage field.

' y 13. A polyphase transformer assembly comprising a plurality of single-phase transformers, each of said` transformers having a substantially rectangular magnetic circuit, primary windings ancl secondary windings, the primary and secondary windings of each transformery being oppositely arranged on the magnetic circuit, said transformers being arranged with the primary windings in' axial alignment and with the secondary windings in axial alignment, and means to suppress the -leakage ileld coupling the windings of successive transformers, said means comprising WIJNAND KLINKHAMER. 

